“Oh. I burned that.”
“What? Why would you do that?”
She flashed an impatient glance his way and speared her now clean and de-furred snack with a roasting stick. “We just don’t like having our location tracked, and those satellite devices emit a powerful signal.”
“You could have just taken out the battery.” She didn’t have to toast it.
“I guess that makes you so much smarter than me, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” he agreed.
She shook her head. “Hey. Just because I rescued you doesn’t mean I have to let you live—and for the record, I own you now.”
“Excuse me?”
She pointed her knife at him. “You. Are. Mine. Now. So best watch your tongue because I can do anything I like to you.”
CHAPTER NINE
Fina snickered on the inside, watching the wheels turn in Brutus’s head. She was messing with him, of course. Their tribe no longer believed in having relationships with men, so why would there be some rule about claiming him as her property? Under the old rule of law, however, she could own him. And keep him in the village. Unfortunately, Cimil had come along.
Nevertheless, it was still fun to imagine him belonging to her. Hell, maybe someday things would change and she could evoke the old laws again.
Brutus stared blankly and folded his thick arms over his bare muscular chest. She tried not to notice how perfectly proportioned he was, right down to the size of his manhood. He was well over six feet tall, with hard bulging muscles on his arms and chest. Even his thighs were impressive. But what captivated her most was his back. It was the back of a warrior—wide and rippling with powerful muscles from swinging a heavy sword. Yes, she could tell. Men who used such ancient weapons had very distinct muscle definition, especially in the lats—unlike a man who simply went to the gym and ended up bulky.
Brutus was built like a battleship. So hot. She especially appreciated a warrior who knew how to defend himself with something other than a gun. She herself had trained with the sacred battle-ax that would someday be hers.
Well, maybe not anymore.
“Did you just say you own me?” He pointed to his smooth tanned chest.
“Yep,” she lied. “And don’t look so surprised. I saved your life, didn’t I?”
“Are you certain that you’re not the one who hit your head?” His thick dark brows knitted together.
“Hey, those are the rules of our lands. I didn’t make them up.” Trying not to laugh, she studied his face closely. His pursed lips formed a heart shape when he was thinking. His square jaw also tensed. She liked that there was a certain intensity about him when he used his mind. Thinking was just as important, if not more, than being a skilled fighter.
“We are no longer on your land,” he said, “so I am afraid your laws don’t apply.”
“Well,” she stood, dusting the dirt from her hands, “we were on my land when I saved you, and that means my laws were in effect at the time. So, like it or not, I own you now. And trust me, I’m not any happier about it than you are. I mean, look at you. I’ve never seen such a puny, weak male.” Sooner or later she’d let him off the hook, but for now, she was actually enjoying this. She wanted to torment him.
Why? She didn’t know.
Perhaps because saving his life had cost her so much. Perhaps because she was angry with her mother and people for refusing to change their savage ways, and Brutus was the only person around to take out that frustration on.
His beautiful turquoise eyes flickered with irritation. He wasn’t going for the whole ownership thing.
“Wow. Never took you as a man who lacked honor.”
“If I lacked honor,” he puffed out his wide chest, “I would have let your tribe simply perish without a thought. Instead, I marched here on foot so you’d have a fighting chance.”
“You came because you wanted women for your men.”
“So?” He shrugged. “I can’t help it if falling in love is the only vaccine.”
It was weird how when he spoke of love, his eyes lit up. She’d never met a man, let alone an immortal warrior, who had a romantic streak.
“So who is the woman I am taking you from?” she asked.
“I belong to no one, you included.”
Huh. Interesting. So he was single. “Then aren’t you worried about ‘flipping,’ as you call it?”
He rubbed his scruffy jaw, producing a bristly sound. “I am technically not singl—you know what? It is none of your business.”
“Okay. Sorry.” She held up her palms. “I forgot how touchy your gender can be. So fragile,” she whispered.
Brutus replied with a grunt. “I’m going to find some new leaves for my skirt while you devour that poor innocent creature. And I suggest you hurry. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
“Where are we going exactly?” He hadn’t consulted her with a plan.
“The Uchben have a decommissioned base about fifty miles from here. They might have some old equipment in one of the underground storage lockers. I’m hoping there’s a radio.”
She supposed that plan would have to do. The alternative was hiking to one of the logger roads about eighty miles in the other direction. However, they’d have to go all the way around the tribe’s land to get there, which would probably add another two or three days to the journey.
The question was, however, once she returned with Brutus to his world, what next? The only option was to try to get an audience with Cimil and have her talk some sense into the great and all-powerful Queen Chacacacakhan.
Ugh. I so hate that name. It was from their ancient tongue and meant She Who Swings Fastest From the Tall Tree of Wisdom and Crushes Skulls for Fun.
Yeah, their old language was very efficient. Could say a lot with a few syllables. Her own name, for example, meant the Cold One Who Tears Out Hearts with Her Pinkies and Bakes Them into Holiday Treats. That’s so not true. I don’t even know how to bake.
Fina was about to give her approval for their plan when something rustled in the damp underbrush. She reached for her dagger and held out her hand to Brutus, urging him to be silent. She would protect him.
Meow! Meow!
“Ohmygod! Zeus? Kitty?” Fina couldn’t believe her eyes, but there he was. A tiny gold, white, and brown striped face in the bushes. “Oh, you followed us!” She went over to grab the little thing, but it took one look at her and darted straight to Brutus.
She watched as he scooped Zeus up in his large hand. “Well, hello there, little guy. Miss me?”
She snarled at Brutus.
He noticed, offering her a smug grin. “Well, well, well, guess I own him now.” He turned for the dense foliage. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go find you some grubs.”
The cat meowed at him.
Dammit. That’s my furbaby!
Brutus added, “And we are definitely picking out a proper name for you. Zeus is a loser. Didn’t even make the cut as a real deity.”
They were gone, and Fina’s meat was on fire.
“Crap!” She blew out the flaming squirrel-kabob, but her ego was still ablaze. Her mother was a coldhearted dragon lady. The other women were savages. That little kitten was all she had to keep her from losing her mind some days.